Improvement in power - presses



, UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JAMES VED, OF MUSGATINE, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN POWER PRESSES.

Spccilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 28,429. dated May 22,1860.

To @ZZ whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JAMES WEED, of Mus` catine, in the county ofMuscatine and State of Iowa, have invented a new and ImprovedProgressive-Power Press, designed for compressing hay, cotton, and othersubstances for baling; and I do herebyI declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in whichwFigure l is a front sectional view of my i-nvention, taken in the line:c x, Fig. 2;, Fig. 2, a side view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the twoiigures.

The object of this invention is to obtain a progressive-power press bywhich the power may be applied in a manner commensurate with or in thesame ratio as theincreasing resistance of the article under compression.

In all the progressive-power presses that have been hitherto devised-atleast all that have passed under my observation-the power has beengradually progressive-that is to say during the operation of the pressthe power has increased in a regular ratio, and not corresponding withthe resistance offered by the article under compression.

The within-described invention consists in the employment or use oftogglesz applied to the press in such a way as to admit of repeatedapplication of power near the termination of their movement, and therebyeffect the desired end, so far as the application of power is concerned.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a framing, which may be constructed in any proper way tosupport the working parts of the press; and B is a rectangular uprightframing, which is secured in the framing A, and which contains thepressbox G.

D is a follower which works in the pressbox C, and is attached to thelower ends of uprights a, which are fitted in theframing B- two at eachside-and are allowed to slide freely up and down therein.

E is a rotary bearing-plate which forms the upper end of the press-boxC, as shown clearly in Fig. l.

F F represent two toggle-frames, which are placed one at each side ofthe framing B. The lower ends of these toggleframes are attached to thelower part of the framing B, and their upper ends are attached to theends of the horizontal bars G G, which are fitted invertical slots b inthe upper ends of the uprights a, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. The upperends of the uprights a are connected by transverse bars c, which areprovided with end pieces, d, and to these end pieces indented pendants ee are attached by pivots f. rlhe lindentations in the pendants formstep-like projections or ledges l 2, which are shown more particularlyin Fig. 2.

The outermost l pendant e of each end piece, d, has a spring,

g,` bearing against it, and these springs have a tendency to keep thependants e pressed against the bars G G, and the latter always 'I bearupward against either of the ledges 1 or f 2 at the sides of thependants e e.

The togl gle-frames F F are each formed of two bars,

f h h, connected by cross-bars i.

ing the toggleframes together.

Any proper form of joint, j, may be employed for connect- Thisarrangevat certain times over the upper ends of the The fol-lower D hastwo end pieces, k k, projecting ont from each side of the framing B.Against these end pieces, k k, bars H are arranged by springs Z Z, andthe inner sides of these bars,which bear against the end pieces, k, arenotched so as to form shoulders or steplike projections 2 3, as shownclearly in Fig. 2. To the framing B, directly above the bars H,spring-catches a" are secured. These catches have each a bent bar, o,attached. the form of which is shown in Fig. il, and said catches fitbars H, as will be .presently explained. To

the uprights a pins p are attached, so as to project horizontallytherefrom, and similar pins, q, are attached to the framingB.

In the framing B, just above the press-box C, there is placed ahorizontal shaft, I, to the outer ends of which a wheel, J, is attached.

The shaft I has ropes or chains r connectedto it, and which wind aroundit in opposite directions. The outer ends of the ropesor chains o areattached to the centers ofthe toggle-frame. Ihe wheel J is provided witha series of peripheries of different diameters, as shown clearly in Fig.2. The wheel being in effect a cone of pulleys, around each periphery ofthe wheel J an endless rope, K, is placed, each rope passing around apulley, s, so as to render a portion exposed, that it may be grasped bythe hand of the operator. This will be fully understood by referring toFig. l.

The operation is as follows: At the commencement of the operation, thefollower D is depressed or lowered to its fullest extent. Ihe press-boxGis then filled, or the requisite amount ofthe article to be compressedplaced in it, and the wheel J is rotated. As the shaft I turns, theropes or chains r are wound upon it andthe toggle-frames F drawn inwardtoward the framing B,the former elevating the follower D, andconsequently compressing the contents ofthe press-box C. Thetoggle-frames F,when drawn inward to their fullest extent, elevate thefollower D as far as they are capable of doing at 'the first operation,when the bars G bear against the under sides of the end pieces, d d, andat the close of this first operation the projections k of the follower Dcatch over the shoulders 2 of the bars H and retain the follower in theposition it was left by the first movement 4of the toggle-frames. Thewheel J is then turned in a reverse direction and the toggle-frames Fare forced outward from the framing B, the bars G G lowering until theycatch underneath the shoulders 2 of the pendants e e. The wheel J isthen again turned in the direction as at first, and the followerD isagain raised until the toggle-frames F become vertical or straight, andthe projections 7c catch over the shoulder 3 of the bars H. The wheel Jis then turned in a reverse direction as before, and thetoggle-framesforced outward -until the bars G catch under the lowermost chains r, andthe toggle-frames drawn toward the framing B, the latter movement ofthe'togglefframes completing the pressure. When the follower D reachesits culminating or highest point at the last pressure, the catches n fit`or drop over the tops of the bars H, so that when the bale is properlybound and removed the follower D may descendhwithout having itsprojections 7c catch upon the shoulders 2 3 of the bars H, and when thefollower reaches its' lowest point of descent, or just previous thereto,the pins p of the uprights a strike the bent rods o and throw up thecatches mthereby releasing the bars H, so that the projections, 7c ofthe follower may catch on the shoulders of said bars, and the pins q onthe framing B,

articles for baling purposes.

as the follower reaches its lowest point, throw outward the pendants e,so that the bars G may, during the rst action of the follower, 'b'earagainst the under sides of the end pieces, d d.

In case the press is operated manually, the varying sized peripheries ofthe wheel J enable the operator to take advantage of power or time, ascircumstances may require, the ropes that pass around the smallerperipheries being actuated if speed is required, and those which passaround the larger peripheries being actuated if power is required.

In case the press is operated by other power than human it may beapplied to the larger periphery ofthe wheel J by means of abelt from thedrum L of a vertical power-shaft, M.

From the above description it will be seen that the toggle-frames areapplied several times to each bale, and the application of the powerv iswhen the toggle-frames are near the completion of their movement, andconsequently exert their greatest power. This is the essential featureof the invention, and a very. im-

portant one, as the resistance of articles under compression does notincrease in a regular ratio like the gradually-increasing power of atoggle; hence these toggle-presses hitherto constructed, which aregenerally termed progressive-power presses are not perfect in theiroperation; but. by repeated applications of the toggle-frame power,during the latter part of the pressing operation, substantially asherein shown, the article within the press-box will, without additionalmechanism or eXtra driving-power,I be subjected to a pressurecommensurate with the increasing resistance offered by it.

I do not confine myself to the precise means herein shown and describedfor admitting of repeated applications of the power ofthe toggleframes Fto the follower,for various plans might be devised for effecting theresult, and all operate equally well.

I do not claim the employment or use of toggle or toggle-frames for thepurpose of operating the followers of presses for compressing Neither doI claim the wheel with varyin g sized peripheries. for applying avarying power to the toggles; but

Ido claim as new and desire to secure by TL A A..

